Door-check



(ModeL) M. H. BASSETT.

DOOR CHECK;

Patented Apr. 16, 1889.

rricE MILTON II. BASSETT, OI NE\V BRITAIN, ((lNNEC "Il 'll.

DOOR-CHECK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 401,535, dated April 16, 1889.

Application filed November 10, 1886. $erial No. 218,446. (Modeh) To all whom, it may concern:

ie it known that I, MILTON ll. lmssnr'r, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Britain, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Door-Checks, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to obtain a simple, neat, and efficient door-check consist ing of few parts, and particularly to provide a buffer-arm of light and graceful appearance for combination with various devices to be used for checking a door which is closing rapidly and to so support the buffer-arm as to make it simple and most advantageously disposed for the work it has to do, preserving a flatness of construction of the arm-supporting base, so that it shall not be a conspicuous 0bj ect riding at the top of an ordinary-sized door, or placed on the face casings of a doorframe.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my door-check, together with portions of the door andits jamb. Fig. 2 is a vertical section, partly in elevation, of the buffing member of said check, the plane of section extending longitudinally through the axis of the springcoils. Figs. 3, at, and 5 are respectively a perspective view and front elevation of the buffing member of my doorcheck, showing other forms.

My door-check is used to prevent the slamming of a door whether the same is provided with a door-closing spring or not.

A designates the awn-supporting base of the buffing member; 0, the supporting-bar within the spring-coils 4C. In the preferred form the arm-sup porti n g base is provided with a lug, 1., for holding the supporting-bar (l, and with a tripping device, 2, in the form of a plate or bar. The spring-coils 4 are formed integral with an upwardly-extending bufferarm, 3, in the form of a loop with a crossbar at its outer end. The spring-coils I at the lower end of the buffer-arm on each leg thereof extend around the supporting-bar O on each side of the lug 1, the spring-coils on one side being wound in the reverse direction from those upon the other side. The ends 5 in the outer springcoils extend downwardly, but have a curve in them the reverse of the bend in the spring-coils, so that only the tips of the wire rest upon the face of the arm-supporting base, as shown in Fig. l. The supportingbar at each end is of a variable diameter that is, of a size which nearly fills the spring-coils nearest the ends 5 5 of the wirewhile those portions which are embraced by the other spring-coils are reduced in diameter, so that said spring-coils when in their normal position are out of contact with said bar. In order to accomplish this there must be two series of spring-coils and a reduced diameter within each series, so that the spring-coils and integral buffer-arm in the form of a loop are supported at two different points on the supporting-bar.

The buiiing member above described constitutes one part of my invention, and in connection therewith I employ a stop member. In the preferred form, I)' designates the supporting-frame adapted to be secured to the jamb L of the door, to which supportingframe the pivoted stop E is pivoted, so as to lie in a horizontal plane when at rest and in position for action. Projecting from the pivoted stop at a point below its engaging stopshoulder G is a V-shaped lug, 9, the outer under inclined face, 7, of which is designed to be hit by the tripping device 2 on the armsupporting base A of the buffing member to throw the pivoted stop upward. The distance between the top of the tripping device 2 and the under side of the crossbar at the upper end of the buffer-arm 3 is greater than the height of the stop-shoulder 0 above the lowest point of the under inclined face, 7. \Vhen the door moves slowly, the stroke of the tripping device 2 upon the end of the pivoted stop will not throw said pivoted stop up wholly out of engagement with said tripping device, and as the pivoted stop is not raised into the path of the cross-bar of the bufferarm the door will not be checked. \Vhen the door is moving rapidly, the tripping de vice, hitting the outer under inclined face, 7, of the pivoted stop, will throw it violently upward against the cross-bar at the upper end of the buiicr-arm, and the stop-shoulder 6 of the pivoted stop in its vibrations must pause slightly between its upward swing and return and must use time in passing and repassing the path of said cross-bar. It is caught near the point of rest on the fly, the advancing cross-bar of the buffing member striking the stop-shoulder to check the door. The recoil of the buffer-arm and door withdraws the cross-bar from the stop-shoulder of the pivoted stop, when said pivoted stop falls by gravity into its normal horizontal position. The lugs on the supporting-frame D, to which the pivoted stop is pivoted, are small enough to enter the opening in the buffer-arm and allow said arm to come close to the door-jamb, with the pivoted stop and its lug all projecting bodily to the front through the bufferarm. This enables me to use substantially a Hat buffer-arm.

The stop-shoulder G on the pivoted stop is substantially vertical when said stop is in its normal position, and consequently when it is raised into its checking position, as in Fig. 1, said shoulder slants upward away from the cross-bar at the upper end of the bufferarm, and therefore it is free to fall as soonas said buffer-arm rebounds. \Vhen the pivoted stop first engages the cross-bar of the buffer-arm, the first spring-coils at the base of said arm are out of bearing-contact with the supporting-bar C, said bar being of the smallest diameter at said points. The first action of the buffer-arm is, therefore, quite easy, so as not to shock the door, although the spring-coils of the buffer arm may be heavy; but when the buffer-arm has been deflected somewhat the several spring-coils are forced against the supporting-bar, and their action and that of the buffer-armare thereby stiffened. By this construction light and heavy work are both performed by the same spring-coils.

In Fig.4I have shown a buffing memberas having the spring-coils within the legs of the buffer-arm instead of outside, while the armsupporting base has two lugs instead of only one for holding the supporting-bar C. Otherwise this buffing member is the same as that first described. In heavy work, without a supporting-bar of variable diameter, the bufferarm, if formed of the same-sized wire as the spring-coils, is liable at times to. be pushed back and bent or broken. To avoid this, I may form the buffer-arm in the form of a loop, with a cross-bar at its outer end, of heavy wire, and secure it to the supporting-bar, and then form the spring-coils of smaller wire, as shown in Fig. 5. In this form that portion of the wire which connects the spring-coils and bears upon the buffer-arm 3 may be used as the tripping device 2. This construction of spring member can be used in combination with the stop member shown in Fig. 1. A buffer-arm having integral spring-coils, so as to perform the function of a spring inherent in the arm itself, is the preferred form of buffer-arm; but the modification shown in Fig. 5 illustrates the fact that a spring-pressedbuffer-arm having an opening through its swinging end is for some purposes the full equivalent of the buffer-arm with inherent spring.

In either case the upper end of the arm above the opening through it is in the form of a cross-bar for engagement with the stop-shoulder 6.

In Fig. 3 there is no supporting-bar C; but the generic features of the buffing member hereinbefore described are presentthat is to say, it contains the arm-supporting base, the buffer-arm in the form of a loop having a cross-bar at its upper end, and integral springcoils mounted on said arm-supporting base.

IVhile the V-shaped lug 9 is continued forward, so that the outer under inclined face, 7 may be formed thereon, it is mainly that portion of said lug which slants forward and downward from the face of the stop-shoulder (3 that performs one important functionviz., by being caught on the cross-bar of the bufferarm it insures the engagement of. said arm squarely on the stop-shoulder of the pivoted stop. By limiting the swinging movement of the pivoted stop and directing said stop and buffer-arm squarely together by means of a lug at the free end of said stop a greater latitude is given for variation in putting the device on the door and jamb than can be the case where the swinging movement of the piv oted stop is limited by stops at its hinged end. Furthermore, by thus limiting the upward movement of the pivoted stop by means of this lug 9 and pivoting said stop above the path of the tripping device the pivoted stop may be so constructed as to be swung upward and backward out of the path of the tripping device and buffer-arm, as indicated by broken lines in Fig. 1, so that whenever it is desired to discontinue the use of my doorcheck it is only necessary to thus throw back the pivoted stop. All the parts still remain upon the door and its jamb ready for action whenever desired by simply turning down the pivoted stop.

lVhile I prefer to employ a buffer-arm in the form of a loop and connected spring-coils, it is evident that the stop member of my doorcheck would operate precisely the same if acted upon by a rigid arm of the same form.

I do not claim, broadly, an arm in the form of a loop with reverse spring-coils at each end and a supporting-bar extending through said spring-coils.

It will be seen that I have herein shown and described, in combination, a buffing-arm, a pivoted stop, and its pivot or axis, which pivoted stop has its stop-shoulder in opposition to its pivot also, that the pivoted stop is one that falls by gravity, and that it has a stop-shoulder for catching on a buffer-arm and an outer under inclined face for being hit to lift the said shoulder of the pivoted stop; but these.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination of the stop member, consisting of a pivoted stop andasupporting frame for said stop, and a butting member, consisting of an arm-supporting base, a tripping device, and a butter-arm of wire in the form of a loop, having the cross-bar at its outer end and the reverse spring-coils at its inner end, substantially as described, and for the purpose specified.

2. The combination of the stop member and a buiiing member, consisting of an arm-supporting base, a tripping device, a buffer-arm of wire projecting therefrom in the form of a loop with a crossbar at its outer end and having the series of reverse spring-coils at its inner end, the supporting-bar of a diameter to fill the springcoils at two separate points for properly supporting the buffer-arm, while other coils are wholly out of contact with said bar when the buiter is in its normal position, substantially as described, and for the purpose specified.

3. The combination of an arm-supporting base, a buffing-arm in the form of a loop with a cross-bar at its outer end which projects from said arm-supporting base, a tripping device separate from the cross-bar of said buffing-arm, and a stop member acting in connectionwith said tripping device and buffingarm, substantially as described, and for the purpose specified.

4. The combination of an arm-supporting base, a buffer-arm of wire in the form of a loop with a crossbar at its outer end and the series of reverse spring-coils at its inner end, the supporting-bar within said reverse springcoils, a pivoted stop adapted to act against the cross-bar of said buffer-arm, and a tripping device for throwing upward the pivoted stop, substantially as described, and for the purpose specified.

5. The combination of an arm-supporting base, a buffer-arm in the form of a loop with a cross-bar at its outer end, a tripping device connected with said armsupporting base and separated from the cross-bar of said buffer-arm, and the pivoted stop in the form of a single bar, whereby the entire step may pass bodily through said buffer-arm, substantially as described, and for the purpose specified.

6. In a door-check, the combination of a buiier-arm in the form of aloop, with the pivoted stop E, having the stop-shoulder (5 on its upper side and the lug 9 projecting from said shoulder at its outer end, with the under face, 7,1or being hit by a tripping device, substantially as described, and for the purpose specified.

7. The combination of a buiting member and a pivoted stop adapted to swing freely in its supporting-frame, and having a lug at its outer end adapted to engage said butting member for limiting the upward movement of said pivoted stop when thrown upward by a tripping device, substantially as described, and for the purpose specified.

8. The combination of an arm-supporting base and a buffer-arm in the form of a loop with a pivoted stop and its supporting-frame, said stop and the lugs of its supporting-frame being formed and adapted for mounting in relation to the opening within said bufferarm substantially as described, whereby said stop and lugs may bodily enter the said opening, as specified.

MILTON H. BASSETT.

XVitnesses:

JAMEs SHEPARD, JOHN EDWARDs, Jr. 

